Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government talks of rebuilding Ireland. The plan is evidently not working. The Minister last night in the debate said he would like to hear alternatives. Our alternative is based on the idea of public housing to be built on public land. I have four examples here of how that might be done.

The first is Damastown village in Dublin West for 1,200 social and affordable houses. Another is the site on the Old Whitechurch Road in Cork for 800 social and affordable houses. There are also Kilcarbery Grange in the South Dublin County Council area and Belcamp Lane in the Dublin City Council area for 892 and 532 social and affordable houses, respectively. These are plans for mixed communities, 100% social and public affordable housing without the need for any privatisation whatsoever. The Dublin West proposal has been on the desk of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government for the guts of a year. At the end of this session, I will give the Taoiseach details on all four but I ask him to comment now on the idea of public housing on public land, which is a good and viable alternative to the Government's plan for mass privatisation of land through the Land Development Agency.

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